Attorney-Client Privilege
by Pamela Samuels Young
 

A brutal murder, missing documents and an unscrupulous opposing counsel lead attorney Vernetta Henderson on a quest for justice—and ultimately—revenge.

The hotshot L.A. lawyer takes on a corporation with a long history of discriminating against women. While Vernetta simply wants justice for her clients, the corporation’s hired gun wants to win . . . and she doesn’t care how. On the home front, Vernetta’s infamous sidekick Special has finally found true love. But is the price more than she’s willing to pay?


Purchase Attorney-Client Privilege Today
http://www.amazon.com/Attorney-Client-Privilege-ebook/dp/B008BWAD5G



Attorney-Client Privilege Book  Reviews:

“Attorney-Client Privilege is a page-turning, rip-roaring, plot-driven examination of American jurisprudence and its effect on people who have no power. Read this novel. You won't regret it."
– Scott Pratt, Author of the Joe Dillard Series

 
“Attorney-Client Privilege was a thriller until the very last page. We couldn't put it down. The best book we've read in 2012.”
– Sisters with Books Book Club

 
“The verdict is in…Attorney Client Privilege delivers! Vernetta and Special are at it again in this dramatic legal thriller! A thought-provoking, page turner you can't put down!”
– Something to Talk About Book Club


 
About the Author
Pamela Samuels Young is a practicing attorney, whose fast-paced legal thrillers tackle law and crime. Her novels include Attorney-Client Privilege, Murder on the Dow Low and Buying Time, which the Black Caucus of the American Library Association honored with its 2010 Fiction Award, calling the book “a captivating, suspenseful thriller.”  A native of Compton, Pamela is a graduate of UC Berkeley’s Boalt Hall School of Law and is on the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles Chapter of Sisters in Crime, an organization dedicated to the advancement of women mystery writers. Visit Pamela’s website at:  www.pamelasamuelsyoung.com.

 

Intimate Conversation with Pamela Samuels Young

Pamela Samuels Young is a practicing attorney, whose fast-paced legal thrillers tackle law and crime. Set in Los Angeles, Pamela's fast-paced novels feature savvy female characters who bring a taste of diversity to the legal fiction genre. Her novels include Attorney-Client Privilege, Murder on the Dow Low and Buying Time, which the Black Caucus of the American Library Association honored with its 2010 Fiction Award, calling the book “a captivating, suspenseful thriller.”

A native of Compton, Pamela currently balances her writing career while working as Managing Counsel for Labor and Employment Law for a large corporation in the Los Angeles area. A graduate of UC Berkeley’s Boalt Hall School of Law, Northwestern University and USC, she serves on the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles Chapter of Sisters in Crime, an organization dedicated to the advancement of women mystery writers.

BPM: Pamela tell us about your passion for writing. Why do you write? What drives you?
I definitely have a passion for writing. Nothing else could explain my willingness to sit in front of my computer for ten hours a day or my eagerness to rise at four in the morning to write before going to work. I enjoy creating characters and putting them in precarious situations. I want readers to get wrapped up in the mysteries I create, to love, hate and root for my characters, and to close each book and feel as if they got their money’s worth.


BPM: How did you feel when you saw your first book in bookstores?
I still have a very vivid memory of seeing Every Reasonable Doubt on the shelf at the Barnes and Noble near my home in February 2006. I went to the store on the book's scheduled release date, not really expecting to find it. My stepson and I searched the shelves but couldn't find it. I was about to leave, but decided to, ask for it at the reception desk. To my delight, the clerk found it and led us to the book. I just stood there staring at it. So much blood, sweat and tears led me to this point. My stepson took out his cell phone and snapped a picture of me holding the book. And just as I started to started to tear up, he promptly warned me not to embarrass him by crying in the store.


BPM: Take us inside your latest legal thriller, Attorney-Client Privilege.
My newest legal thriller is a scandalous tale of blackmail, murder and betrayal, evoking John Grisham with a sister’s twist!  A brutal murder, missing documents and an unscrupulous opposing counsel lead attorney Vernetta Henderson on a quest for justice—and ultimately—revenge.

The hotshot L.A. lawyer takes on a corporation with a long history of discriminating against women. While Vernetta simply wants justice for her clients, the corporation’s hired gun wants to win . . . and she doesn’t care how. On the home front, Vernetta’s infamous sidekick Special has finally found true love. But is the price more than she’s willing to pay?


BPM: What impact will this book have on readers?
Attorney-Client Privilege is entertaining, thought-provoking, and inspirational.
Attorney-Client Privilege will prompt readers to re-examine their level of commitment to their faith.
Attorney-Client Privilege will encourage readers to give thought to gender discrimination in the workplace.  Read the first three chapters, go here: www.pamelasamuelsyoung.com


BPM: What is the primary message in Attorney-Client Privilege?
Fighting injustice may be difficult at times, but sticking to your principles will lead to victory in the long-run.


BPM: What inspired you to begin writing mysteries after careers in journalism and law?
I've always loved reading mysteries, particularly those that involve fascinating legal cases. It bothered me, however, that the legal thrillers I read never depicted women and African-American attorneys. So . . . I decided to fill the void.

I knew pretty early that I wanted to be a writer, having worked on school newspapers in junior high, high school and college. When I decided to major in journalism at the University of Southern California, I didn't give much thought to creative writing. At the age of 18, I didn't have the guts to even consider a career as a novelist. The writers I enjoyed reading – James Baldwin, Richard Wright, Toni Morrison, Joan Didion – were incredibly talented literary writers. I knew I didn't have that kind of poetic writing talent. So I pursued a career in journalism and later, earned a law degree. Flash forward several years and I somehow gathered the courage to give creative writing a try.


BPM: What is your process for creating a novel? Do you plot out the story or do the characters speak to you?
I will spend any where from a few weeks to as long as three months outlining a book before I sit down to write. I also mull over my story a lot. I'm thinking about it in the shower, while I'm standing in line at the grocery story, during my 45-minute commute to work. I can almost see each chapter as if it were a scene in a movie. Only after I have a completed outline do I start writing. And when I write, I go from page one to the last page without doing much editing. For me, it's psychologically motivating to complete that first draft, even if it's so bad I'd never dare show it to anyone. Once I have a finished first draft, then the real writing starts. I revise, and revise and revise some more. That process can last six months or more.


BPM: What are your sources of creativity?
Imagining thousands of readers enjoying my books inspires me. I'm a morning person. My creative juices really flow around five a.m.


BPM: How do you spend your free time?
Free time? What's that? Writing is how I spend my free time and I love every minute of it. I still work part-time as a lawyer and when I'm not at work, I'm usually someplace writing – be it at home, the library or the nearest Starbucks. Sometimes I write early in the morning before work, other times I'm up until one or two in the morning typing away on my laptop. My most productive writing time is when I can get away from home and lock myself in my timeshare in Palm Desert for a weekend. When I'm in that environment, the writing is non-stop. When I'm writing, I'm happy.
 

BPM: Your life is extremely busy! What is one piece of advice you can give to aspiring writers that are also juggling full-time careers ?
Learn to say "no" and don't feel guilty about it. Right now, I'm practicing law, promoting my books nearly every weekend, working on my next novel, and teaching a business law course at the University of Redlands School of Business. I'm also on the Board of Directors of the Southern California Chapter of Mystery Writers of America and I write a column for Global Woman magazine. I love teaching, but I recently decided that I just don't have the time or energy to teach another course this year. I also turned down a request to join the board of directors of a local non-profit group. I wish I could do it all, but there simply aren't enough hours in the day. For now, my primary focus is on finishing my next book and making sure I spend some quality time with my husband, who rarely sees me because I'm gone so much promoting my books.


BPM: What has been your most successful way to reach readers?
Book clubs, book clubs, book clubs!  I've met with close to 160.  Book clubs are social networks and they are great sources for word-of-mouth promotion.  Book club members are avid readers. If a book club member loves you, she will recommend your book to others. I've gained speaking events, other book club meetings, great friends and, of course, lots of fans from my book club appearances.


BPM: What have you learned about the publishing industry so far?
You need to have faith in your talent to survive in this business. Even the mega-successful writers—e.g., J.K. Rowling, Stephanie Meyer and John Grisham, just to name a few—were rejected by multiple publishers. The writers who survive are those who ignore the rejection and just keep writing.

I learned that it's a very tough business. As a result, you have to have faith in your talent and keep going despite the rejection. I've worked in both television news and law and I never faced any where near the rejection and difficulties in those careers that I faced trying to become a novelist. In fact, both law school and the California Bar exam were way easier. I also learned that you have to think like a businessperson, not a writer. My books are products. I have to be inventive and unrelenting about getting my product to readers. In addition to bookstore signings, I've done email blasts, online advertising, giveaways, speaking engagements, and of course book club meetings. I believe that one of the primary reasons both In Firm Pursuit and Every Reasonable Doubt have made the Essence Best-Seller's list is my heavy focus on book clubs. During a recent trip to the D.C. area, I did three book clubs in one day, along with a reception at a friend's home and a panel discussion at a bookstore. It was a long day, but I reached a lot of people. 

BPM: What advice would you give to aspiring authors?
Find the writing process that works best for you. When I wrote my first book, I struggled a lot with the writing. I didn't prepare an outline or even have the storyline worked out in my head. I had an idea for the characters and the setting and I just sat down and started writing. I would spend weeks on a single chapter, rewriting what I had written during the previous session. Later, I ended up tossing out several chapters that I spent weeks working on.

Now, I have a completed outline before I begin writing a single word. It can take me a couple of months to complete an outline. Then, I sit down and write my story from beginning to end without doing any major revising. My goal at the start of a new novel is to produce a decent first draft with a solid, engaging plot. Once I'm satisfied with the plot, then I go back and spend as much time as it takes to polish the writing—anywhere from three to six months. This process helped me cut my writing time tremendously. It took me three years to write In Firm Pursuit (written, first but sold second) and only one year to finish Every Reasonable Doubt.


BPM: What are some of your favorite authors (past, present, or future)?
The book that had the greatest impact on me as a kid was Claude Brown's Manchild in the Promised Land. I can still remember stumbling across a copy of the book at my aunt's house when I was about twelve. It was the first book I remember reading that had African-American characters and I was thrilled to be reading about people who looked like me. It was also a very gritty and graphic coming of age story. I promptly "borrowed" the book without asking for permission for fear that my aunt would think I was too young to be reading such a sexually graphic book. After that, I developed an insatiable appetite for African-American fiction.

These days, I read more mysteries than anything else. Some of my favorite authors include Walter Mosley, Sandra Brown, Tami Hoag, Joseph Finder, James Patterson, Valerie Wilson Wesley, John Grisham and Greg Iles. I love a good plot and I think all of these writers write very entertaining novels. I also enjoy contemporary fiction and I'll buy anything Terry McMillan decides to write. I spend a lot of time studying the story structure of novels that I've enjoyed reading, which has helped me tremendously with pacing.


BPM: Finish this sentence- My writing offers the following legacy to future readers...
I want to help destroy the publishing industry’s belief that only African American readers will read stories with African American characters. People who love mysteries want a compelling story. My primary goal is to write entertaining thrillers with diverse characters and a storyline that keeps readers turning the page.


Attorney-Client Privilege . . .On Sale July 2012!
Read an excerpt at:  www.pamelasamuelsyoung.com
Follow Pamela on Twitter at:  www.twitter.com/pamsamuelsyoung
Follow Pamela on Facebook at:  www.facebook.com/pamelasamuelsyoung

Bookclubs, select one of Pamela’s novels for your book club meeting and she will join you in person, via webcam or via speaker phone.

Sneak Peek:  Attorney-Client Privilege 
by Pamela Samuels Young


 

A brutal murder, missing documents and an unscrupulous opposing counsel lead attorney Vernetta Henderson on a quest for justice—and ultimately—revenge.

The hotshot L.A. lawyer takes on a corporation with a long history of discriminating against women. While Vernetta simply wants justice for her clients, the corporation’s hired gun wants to win . . . and she doesn’t care how. On the home front, Vernetta’s infamous sidekick Special has finally found true love. But is the price more than she’s willing to pay?


Praise for Attorney-Client Privilege
"Pamela Samuels Young knows how to tell a story, and tell it right. If you haven't read her work, you've missed out on a powerful voice, an advocate for women, and an advocate for justice.”
--Scott Pratt, Author of the Joe Dillard Series



Excerpt -  Meet Special

Special flitted around the kitchen as if she was organizing a dinner party for twenty. Clayton would be arriving any minute and she wanted to make sure everything was perfect.

It surprised her how much she enjoyed cooking for Clayton. She was used to men wining and dining her at the city’s best restaurants. Now, she was turning out to be quite the chef since her conversion to Islam.  Her physical appearance had also changed. Her makeup was much more understated, just the way Clayton liked it. Just mascara, blush and a light-bronze lip gloss. The decision to give up her fake eyelashes had been tough, but the whole natural look was growing on her. Who would’ve thought she could look sexy without showing any cleavage? Tonight she was wearing a form-fitting black turtleneck and her black skinny jeans.  The doorbell rang and Special skipped to the door.

She reached out to give Clayton a hug even before he had stepped across the threshold. He barely hugged her back.

“Hey, babe,” he said, wearily.

Clayton worked as an engineer for a small defense contractor, a job he seemed to be growing more and more disenchanted with. He was constantly talking about quitting and starting his own business.  Clayton took a seat in the living room and Special brought him a glass of apple juice.

“It’s fresh squeezed,” she said proudly. “From my new juicer.”

“Thanks, babe.”

“And I made—”

“Sit down.” Clayton patted the couch. “We need to talk.”

Special’s entire body tensed. “Talk about what?”

“About us.”

She didn’t move for another three seconds. “Let me go turn off the oven.”   In the kitchen, she opened the oven door and set the casserole dish on the stovetop. Her mind raced as she tried to recall the past few days. Had she done something wrong? A cuss word had slipped out every now and then, but other than that, she’d been a model Muslim woman. She walked tentatively back into the living room.

“Okay,” she said, sitting down on the couch, a respectable distance between them. “What’s up?”

“You know how much I enjoy being with you and how much I like having you in my life, right?” Special stopped breathing. He was prepping her for some really bad news.

“And you know I’ve decided to dedicate my life to the Community. That means there are rules and principles that I’m—well, both of us—are required to follow.”

Now she was completely confused. “What are you talking about? We’ve been doing everything we’re supposed to do. Going to meetings three or four times a week, praying five times a day. I’ve changed my diet and I don’t even cuss anymore.” Well, almost.

“I’m talking about the big thing we’ve been doing that’s straight-up wrong.”

Special’s face clouded. “What big thing?”

Clayton gave her a skeptical look that told her to stop playing dumb. “Special, we can’t have sex anymore. Not until we’re married.”   Fear eased out of her body and astonishment skidded into its place.

Special laughed. “Boy, stop playing.”

Clayton frowned. “I’m not playing. I’m serious.”  She waited a beat, expecting him to explain this joke, but he didn’t.

“Oh…uh, okay,” was the only response Special could muster.

“I don’t expect it to be easy,” Clayton continued. “For either of us. But I want to follow Allah’s will in every way.”

“Okay,” she said again, still shell-shocked.

“Let’s pray.” Clayton took both of her hands, lowered his head and closed his eyes. “Oh great Allah, we come before you as mere servants, humbled by your power. Strengthen us, Allah, so that we may be the worthy servants you deserve. . .”

Special opened one eye and pinned it on Clayton. This has to be a joke? Maybe this was some kind of test to see if she was really serious about Islam.   Once he’d finished praying, Clayton instantly seemed like his old self. “Whatever you’re cooking smells good. I’m going to wash my hands.”

As Clayton disappeared down the hallway, Special stayed put, still a bit dazed. This was crazy. She did not wait three decades to find the man of her dreams just to become a friggin’ nun. Christians fornicated all the time. They just went to church Sunday morning and asked Jesus for forgiveness. It was no big deal.   A naughty smile suddenly graced her lips. They weren’t planning to get married for another year. There was no way Clayton could go without sex that long. He was the most sexual man she’d ever dated. Her smile grew increasingly wider. Since Clayton was putting her to the test, she’d turn the tables and come up with one for him.

And she’d make sure there would be no way he could pass it.


( Continued... )

© 2012 All rights reserved. Book excerpt reprinted by permission of the author, Pamela Samuels Young.  This excerpt is used for promotional purposes only. Do not reproduce, copy or use without the publisher's written permission. Copyright infringement is a serious offense. Share a link to this page or the author's website if you really like this promotional excerpt.


Purchase Attorney-Client Privilege by Pamela Samuels Young
Categories/genre:  mystery, thriller, crime fiction, chick lit
http://www.amazon.com/Attorney-Client-Privilege-Pamela-Samuels-Young/dp/0981562795



About the Author
Pamela Samuels Young  is a practicing attorney, whose fast-paced legal thrillers tackle law and crime. Set in Los Angeles, Pamela's fast-paced novels feature savvy female characters who bring a taste of diversity to the legal fiction genre. Her novels include Attorney-Client Privilege, Murder on the Dow Low and Buying Time, which the Black Caucus of the American Library Association honored with its 2010 Fiction Award, calling the book “a captivating, suspenseful thriller.”  

A native of Compton, Pamela currently balances her writing career while working as Managing Counsel for Labor and Employment Law for a large corporation in the Los Angeles area. A graduate of UC Berkeley’s Boalt Hall School of Law, Northwestern University and USC, she serves on the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles Chapter of Sisters in Crime, an organization dedicated to the advancement of women mystery writers. Visit Pamela’s website at:   www.pamelasamuelsyoung.com.
 

This audio-postcard presentation was created by Ella Curry of  EDC Creations Creations Media Group.  We offer the best in book publishing publicity!  Visit the main EDC Creations website today to reserve your slot today at: http://www.edc-creations.com/publicity.htm  we have several packages that will take authors to the top!  Looking for one of the most popular Internet radio shows in the industry?   Check out  The Black Authors Network Radio Show today!